Expanding Borders

Crafts, community and education.

Uni/college courses focus on teaching you or getting you to see what design was, not really how to apply that knowledge to build a career.

Riso printers to start a ‘Community’ their feel good practice, the community around them, audiences or followers of an artist. These presses allowed them to connect with designers and artists they aspired to, a way to build their network. As it grew they grew with it, more room, more people, more presses – reach more people.

2012 – started more as the design studio – brought projects with greater meaning and impact compared to how they felt as freelancers; freelances only had a certain level of value to clients but as a studio that value just increases, perhaps the status of a ‘studio’ brings a level of security to clients – this must be a real business, not just a hobby.

Brought a new director to do the web-based and interactive work. The approach to all fields of design is the same, they see the ideas stages as ‘prototyping’ regardless of whether it’s a website or a book design. ‘Design by making’ and bringing their clients to the centre of that rather than the standard-stage design process; take a brief, submit a design, get feedback, update the design then deliver. Working in what they call a ‘circular way’ brings different pros and cons but they see it as a way to get the maximum out of a project.

Involving the client more and using them as part of the team means you can get more information from them during the process, the client knows more about their business than the designers do so errors or misinterpretations can be rectified as part of that process and not as a reaction to a presentation.

The more detailed and collaborative the process can be, means that work can run more smoothly and therefore takes less time to produce and therefore becomes more profitable or manageable within schedules.

A second studio was something they had always aimed for, more if possible. Work for the Serpentine Gallery lead to the chance of working a new gallery and museum which was opening up in Hong Kong and they needed designers who were bi-lingual – one of the designers grew up in Hong Kong and so that was the start of that relationship. That project led to others through people they worked with on this original exhibition.

Work from the new projects became more than they could mange remotely and so they decided to open a studio there. The work is a ‘reflection’ of the work they produce in London in terms of the sector; culture, museums, galleries, etc.

Although they still use their original formats for working they are looking for new ways of production all the time, ways they can add value to projects for the set audience. The Hong Kong client base follow the same methods and values, the difference between countries is the audience and catering for those different audiences is the challenge.

Learning and making are the core of their process, with each project they are looking to develop the practice, learning new skills or new methods to produce the work. They learn, the client learns.

Communication: The two sites are still learning the best way to keep in touch with what each other are doing, communication these days is much easier, messages can be shared instantly, screens can be shared without any complex setup and so the two are able to run along side each other rather than what would have traditionally been seen as two separate sites. Work can be shared to help with project management, skills can be shared to help with production making each of them more efficient.

Hato Student Society – a way to support the education process, a platform for portfolio reviews, workshops, discounts on some printed items; business cards, postcards, et., things that would help them set up their own practice.

Intellectual collective of designers and creatives. A modern online approach to collaboration internationally.

Rita – based in Lisbon

Cultural work: institutions and museums, mostly national clients followed by freelance through friends for DJs, posters, etc. Eventually freelance and working in a studio became too busy so went fully freelance. A personal exhibition followed by work being shown on different sites – brought a call from Axel and have been collaborating since then.

Axel – Based in New York.

Worked freelance for studios in NY, decided not to freelance any more and so opened his own studio. Had more than enough projects which needed support but wanted to start a collaborative studio rather than be the owner. Has been a designer almost 25 years, brought in friends and previous working connections to work on the NewStudio projects.

The goal was to find people who thought in a similar way, wanted to work in a similar way, had the same problems to deal with, etc. people wanted to work with others but keeping their own sense of freedom to choose.

Set up now like a conceptual group that works together as a single studio. The group consists of designers with a variety of specialisms but they’re always looking for more within graphic design, photography, cgi, 3d, to give clients a more all-round service. Initially the original network brought in the work, then others in similar situations shared projects and brought in people on the same path – the majority where brought together by Axel but now more and more are coming in from outside of that network.

Size-wise they look for people with the same ideas and principles but the numbers grow organically, people join and people leave, leaders change depending on the project needs. New members joining should be bringing benefits to the company besides their skillset; more clients, new processes, new networks.

Processes in place to control workflow, progression, who’s doing what comes from constant communication which is easy because of the small number of members. Regular interactions keep everyone on top of what’s going on. The founders will ask how projects are going but not as a schedule to work to. If people are together in one place they will introduce more face to face meetings. There’s no ‘shadowing’ with projects.

The downside of being a split team is the lack of quick, personal interaction – quick decisions aren’t always available but they come together if the job requires it. Occasional meets where as many people as possible can get together to discuss how they think things should proceed, everyone has their own plans and opinions to chip in, there are different goals and ambitions to talk over.

If a project comes through an individuals studio they tend to run the job, if a job comes into the group as NewStudio then the project is split between whoever is available/suitable for the project.

Financially, the ‘owner’ gets 10% of the fee for bringing in the work. Then there’s an equal amount split between those involved. Smaller projects can be distributed between smaller groups or can turned down if they’re not viable or taken on for other benefits than just the money.

The main sources of the work varies, sometimes Hong Kong, Greece, UK, it changes a lot. The majority of the sources come from connections via other projects or social media, building networks is what is bringing in the work. New work can also bring in new work – a new release can attract more of the same kind of project. Combined across the work there is a rich and varied network.

This larger network builds an opening for each member where they can be confident in taking in a different kind of project because someone in the collective will be capable of producing the work, each member has a wider skillset to offer. Another mutual gain is that the older designers can guide the younger whilst the younger can offer new opinions, perspectives and approaches to the older. Opinions from both sides can drive a different process and produce a different outcome.

Reflection

HATO

A great story of a studio’s development, from a small but focussed print-shop seeing the market for the Riso printer and slowly growing from there into the current studio. Their website shows that they still carry their original grounded, approachable and community-based ideals with their original practice still in place.

New Studio

Their setup doesn’t sound too different to the idea of Pentagram; partners bring in their own work and use their team to produce it. New Studio invite collaborators with something to bring, either clients or skills, the new work is then shared to those who are best suited to the task.

They have a wide-range of knowledge and expertise which is reflected in their work. Their mix of design backgrounds also stands out, to have the strength and resources to work this way must be very satisfying. Their enthusiasm comes across, Axel’s future-facing attitude shows excitement and drive.

More and more, the sources of a studio’s success are shown to come from networks being put in place early on in the life of that studio. This is shown to be the root of many successes and although the technology we speak about gets you out in front of a wider, global audience, that initial network: friends, tutors, associates, other local studios… it always sounds like it’s a pretty local starting point.

What if that local starting point is proving very hard to find?

To jump straight into a global network puts you straight into the mix with everyone else, hidden. People will tend to take the most straightforward route to the day-to-day tasks and so choosing a studio to collaborate with will likely be someone you have already met, or someone who is just a few connections away from you, of course the work has to be good to get that recommendation or to be seen to fit the bill, but to be chosen out of the blue from online with the other millions…

Technology and today’s easy global communication are tools to be used to further your practice, but people need to know who you are and what you’re capable of doing before they come, you can hide behind the technology which is why I think it’s still only an added extra to knowing who people are in person.

Away from image-based network platforms, ie. Instagram where we follow strangers for the images they post, how much notice do we take of followers on others such as LinkedIn? I’ve got just over 400 connections and I’ve no idea who the vast majority are or where they came from, I’ve conversed with a handful but otherwise it’s rare to respond to, or get a response from, most social media connections whom you don’t already know.

Unless they’re trying to sell you insurance, they’re messaging you within minutes of accepting their request.